Saturday, November 19, 2016

You can say Sam Lichtman is a little angry. He wrote an article in The Hill titled, “Millennials could have stopped Trump, but we didn’t”. An excerpt from the article is below.

The results: Bernie vs. Hillary in the Florida Primary. Now some ‘experts’ think Bernie will lead us Democrats to the promised land. Think again.

To those who woke up on Nov. 9 yearning for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Clinton’s rival for the Democratic nomination, don’t you see you’re doing it all over again? You’re blaming Clinton, again! You’re pointing your finger at the woman in this situation.How about you look in the mirror for a second and reevaluate where you’re placing the blame? If you’re curious how the protest and third-party votes affected the election, check out my father’s [Allan Lichtman] system. Pay special attention to Key No. 2, “The Contest Key,” and Key No. 4: “The Third-Party Key,” and you’ll see how the protest vote and the third-party vote helped get Trump into the White House.[emphasis added] To those of us who cast a ballot for Trump, I’m not even sure where to begin. But I still have love for all humankind. That being said, I’m embarrassed. We could have stopped him, my friends. We could have stopped him, but we didn’t.

Less than a week after the November 8th elections the hand-wringing had already begun at The Palm Beach Post editorial board: it was all Hillary's fault, it should have been Bernie all along, and Trump was a terrible choice:

If Trump was a terrible choice why didn’t the Post endorse Hillary? Why run full-page ads for Trump leading up to election day, the last one on Sunday, November 6th? “Drain The Washington Swamp!” is what many Millennials saw.

What if traffic flowed through our streets as smoothly and efficiently as blood flows through our veins? Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj thinks we can find inspiration in the genius of our biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, Kabbaj previews exciting concepts like modular, detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make the dream of a dynamic, driverless world into a reality.

Friday, November 18, 2016

“Save the date: Sunday, December 11th, in the early evening will be the Parrot Cove Neighborhood 2016 Holiday Party at The Beach Club once again and this year a group of our neighbors are working hard to make it even better this year (possibly with cookies this time). Details to come later.”

The latest news from Silverman is below. First, if you’re interested in learning more about the history of Post reporters covering Lake Worth from Willie Howard, to Lona O’Connor, a very brief stint by Eliot Kleinberg, the multi-award-winning election-coverage reporter Chris Persaud who made us all so proud, and then Kevin Thompson use this link.

Remember Willie Howard?

The inimitable blogger Tom McGow was there to witness reporter Willie Howard and some McNamara followers stunned by election results back in November 2009.

Director Ron Davis will be at the Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theatre, 713 Lake Ave., Sunday to host a Q&A session after a screening of his new film. “Harry and Snowman,” available from Friday [today] through Nov. 24, will be shown at the Stonzek Theatre at 6:45 p.m. prior to the Q&A. The film takes place after World War II and centers on a Dutch immigrant, Harry DeLeyer and a horse he names “Snowman,” after he rescues it off of a slaughter truck. The tale follows the two on their journey in the show jumping circuit.

Palm Springs Police Department in conjunction with Shred-It, will hold a Shred Event/Canned Food Drive Friday [TODAY!] at 5 p.m. at the Palm Springs Ballfields, followed by a family movie. Deter thieves by shredding sensitive material and protect your personal information. It is requested that a donation of four (4) non-perishable items be made for each box/bag of documents to be shredded.

[and. . .]

Later a fun-filled Family Movie Night will be held at the same location. Finding Dory will be shown beginning at approximately 7 p.m. A bounce house for the kids and other fun activities will be onsite. Bring a picnic dinner or popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

An editor at the Post really let down their reporter Alexa Silverman yesterday and today she received an ‘an offering’ of sorts: another news item in today’s print edition! And this time it’s about an event that’s actually in the City. Check back tomorrow for Silverman’s news about an event this Sunday in our Downtown.

Post reporter Alexa Silverman’s editor has some explaining to do. Park Vista High School is not in “Lake Worth”. That high school is located far out west close to the Florida Turnpike. The editor may be getting confused about zip codes again. For a refresher use this link.

Park Vista High School is located in “Suburban Lake Worth”, news for everyone that was left scratching their heads after they saw this in the paper on Wednesday (11/15).

The Lake Worth CRA’s very well-attended, standing-room-only event last week (Thursday, 10/11) finally made it into the Post. I also attended this meeting and wrote about what happened last Sunday. The meeting was very positive. The negativity the Post reporter picked up on was something I didn’t notice at all. Why a good, positive event needs to be “balanced” with some negative observations seems very unnecessary.

And something I forgot to include in the original blog post, information from CRA Chair Cary Sabol: Since the depths of the Great Recession property values within the CRA District have increased seventy-six per cent. That’s right, 76%. A factoid that will silence the critics. Again. If you don’t remember those critics of our CRA, use this link for a refresher.

There’s another important meeting coming up on November 29th addressing our City’s revamped Land Development Regulations (LDRs). To learn more and register use this link. This event is free and parking is free as well for attendees.

Promotion for the event last Thursday, “Destination Lake Worth”.

Last Thursday afternoon the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) held an event called “Destination Lake Worth—Investment and Development in Lake Worth.” It was targeted to property owners and potential investors to let them know Lake Worth is “open for business” and presented reasons why investment in the City is a good idea whose time has come.

The meeting was a resounding success as the pictures throughout this post attest.

A very large crowd in attendance. For those arriving late it was standing-room-only. (To schedule an event or meeting at the Lake Worth Casino call the City’s Event Manager, Lauren Bennett, at 561-533-7395.)

The CRA did an excellent job of presenting all their information with useful displays around the Casino Ballroom.

About what you’ll see in the videos: Commissioner and Vice-Mayor Pro Tem Andy Amoroso gave an introduction to the standing-room-only crowd highlighting all the activities and programs going on in the Downtown area. He then introduced Mayor Pam Triolo who continued to tell the crowd that Lake Worth welcomes the business community and our Land Development Regulations are now firmly in place. This followed 8 years of not knowing what to expect in the development review process under previous commissions and prior City administrations.

The mayor also talked about all the benefits of Lake Worth’s east-central Palm Beach County location and how communities to the west use this City as their Downtown. It’s a place where they can go to have a fun night out and experience all the art and cultural offerings here. She mentioned how the City is going after hotels and more businesses in our Park of Commerce.

You really should watch the first video in the playlist to hear all of what Mayor Triolo says.

Those in attendance showed great interest in the presentation and also asked many very good questions.

Lake Worth CRA Chair Cary Sabol told the assembled about programs and successes over the years. This takes up most of the 2nd video in the playlist. Among the achievements are the $23 million NSP2 program which rehabilitated a significant number of homes within the CRA district. He also mentioned the CRA’s involvement in attracting Publix and talked about the CRA’s involvement in the relocation of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council to the Downtown as well.

As far as upcoming and current projects he said the CRA is working toward establishing a WiFi system that will be part of the City’s infrastructure and will utilize electric poles throughout the CRA district as a way to bridge the “digital divide” for those with challenges accessing the Internet.

I highly recommend you watch the information presented by Clay Craft, Retail Development Director of Retail Strategies. That’s the group the CRA employed in 2014 to assess the retail market potential in Lake Worth. They looked at what goods and services are not available currently to many areas of the City.

Mr. Craft then identified retail, “brick and mortar” opportunities that are currently unmet in many areas: full-service and quality fast-service restaurants, specialty grocery stores, clothing, and the entertainment sectors. It was a lot of information presented in a PowerPoint but it did go quickly and got a lot of attention I noticed. Also recommend you watch it a few times and don’t hesitate to pause the video and study some of the slides.

You’ll find out about sophisticated tools and information that can be gathered now to assess relative strengths and weaknesses in retail markets. Interestingly, Mr. Craft identified the 15% rate of those having college degrees in this City, something that is lagging in the demographic profile. Retailers like areas where that number is closer to 35%.

I’d be interested to know what you think about this event. Here’s my contact information:

Phone: 561-308-0364

Email: Wesblackman@gmail.com

All in all it was a banner day for the City of Lake Worth. Remember, another presentation by the City’s Community Sustainability Director, William Waters, will be held at the Casino on November 29th, sponsored in part by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress (see link at the beginning of this blog post). The target audience is government, land planners, land use attorneys and other professionals associated with redevelopment and investment but the business community and investors are welcome as well.

“Two Thumbs Up” for Lake Worth, our future, and to the CRA for putting on such an informative event.

UPDATE from Maryann: “The event is outside so please bring a sweater or jacket! Thank you.” And remember, dress appropriately. Note the instructions in the image below (this goes for the press as well).

Come out and hear Maryann Polizzi for yourself. She’s decided to run for City Commissioner for many reasons, one of those reasons is explained below.

First, if you didn’t know, next year’s municipal elections are going to be crowded fields. Districts 2 and 4 will be decided on March 14th, 2017, and the beginning of the qualifying period doesn’t even start until November 29th.

Here’s a short breakdown of the District 4 race: Herman Robinson and Maryann Polizzi are already in the race and there’s word others may want to jump in, the “water’s warm” as they say. The sitting commissioner for District 4 is Ryan Maier and he hasn’t decided what to do yet.

Surprisingly, Maier broke with the commissioner in District 2, Chris McVoy. Maier strongly supported the plan to fix our roads and potholes. That referendum passed by almost 70% of the voters on November 8th.

But what’s soured many in the City about Maier is his support of aggressive panhandlers and any efforts to control the behavior of some of the homeless, certainly not all, but the ones causing all the trouble. He’s been quite public about his lack of support for any anti-aggressive panhandling ordinances.

For residents like Maryann Polizzi that is just unacceptable. And when Maier said at a City Commission meeting that peeing in public “was not that big a deal”, well, a lot of people got very upset about that too.

So to hear Maryann for yourself on this issue and others, show up at the The Birthday Cake House. The house is remarkable by the way. One of the City’s historical treasures.

That’s why I encourage my readers to watch WPTV. They’re not perfect. They make mistakes too vis-à-vis events “in Lake Worth” but they take much more effort to get the story right than either CBS12 and ABC25 does.

Read the facts for yourself from this Press Release:

This affects LAKE OSBORNE residents that utilize US Water Services ONLY. For more information please contact US Water Services at 866-753-8292, ext. 207. This IS NOT within the jurisdiction of the City of Lake Worth.

“The Lake Osborne drinking water system (aka US Water Services) purchases their drinking water from the City of Lake Worth. A water line repair was made last week by US Water Services in the Lake Osborne Subdivision (a consecutive water system of the City of Lake Worth). Following the repair, bacteriological samples were collected and the samples tested positive for the E. coli bacteria. US Water is collecting additional samples to determine the extent of the problem. Although the Lake Osborne water infrastructure system is not within Lake Worth jurisdiction, the City, in the utmost of caution, wishes to inform its end-users of this issue. US Water Services will be informing their customers via public outreach. The City of Lake Worth Water Utility’s constant goal is to provide safe and dependable drinking water. Lake Worth monitors the drinking water well field and distribution system routinely throughout the month. All bacteriological samples have tested absent this month, including the most recent bacteriological samples collected on November 11, 2016. The City of Lake Worth will inform our customers of any change in water quality.”

Am still waiting for that response to the blog post below. And by the way, a reader of my blog dropped off a document called, “Eastward Ho! Development Futures: Paths to More Efficient Growth in Southeast Florida” prepared by the Center for Urban Policy Research from February 1999. The person I’m told preparing a response should stay tuned to this blog over the coming days and weeks. “Eastward Ho!” is, well, an interesting read you can say. And almost 300 pages long.

It appears this blog post from 1½ weeks ago really got under some people’s skin. Good. The immediate gut-reaction from some quarters was, “OK, Wes. You want more development in Lake Worth? Fine. Put it where?” Where? Really? Have you driven down Dixie Hwy. lately? Been out to the Park of Commerce?

Look below for, “So. . . where can density go in Lake Worth?” It’s clearly laid out in the City’s Land Development Regulations what can be done and just as importantly, what is not permissible per the rules.

We’re not talking about residential, single-family neighborhoods and we’re not talking about “tall buildings” either. Height restrictions are very strict in Lake Worth and most structures would be limited to 30′ or less. Do we have to take a look back to the fear tactics from 2013?

Remember these images that were used to frighten the public?Trolling for votes back in 2013.

The point is this: Everybody is concerned about housing and rising costs. And almost everybody is looking for answers too. But if you’re looking for answers from the ‘enviro activists’, well, good luck with that.

Here’s the original blog post that got some feathers so ruffled:

There’s a real good reason why Drew Martin only got 31% of the vote in the primary last August. And how this dovetails with the referendum in Lake Worth on Nov. 8th [Update: the referendum passed overwhelmingly].

If there’s any chance of saving the Everglades for future generations and stopping western sprawl then many of those in the environmental community will need to stop being obstructionists, re-think their tactics, and bring new ideas. A casual glance at any newspaper’s Real Estate section is proof enough the tactics by the environmental ‘activists’ have been a complete failure.

Possibly what’s needed is an entirely new leadership from the top down within many environmental organizations. The current course, a case could be made, is causing more damage to the environment rather than less.

One simply cannot hold these positions and be a legitimate partner in the debate:

Probably nothing illustrates this better than the multi-year effort by Everglades EarthFirst! (EEF!, headquartered in Lake Worth) to stop development of the Alton tract (the former Briger “Forest”) in Palm Beach Gardens. All the while they protested, marched, and had tree-sits in Palm Beach Gardens, further west the 39th city in the County was well on its way to being formed, Westlake. Many more communities out west are being constructed and even more are in the planning process.

The answer to slowing down western sprawl is a simple one. More in-fill development and more density in the cities along the coast and along the I-95 corridor. But what do we hear when new development and density are proposed on Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth, in the Downtown, or in the Park of Commerce? NO! Not in my back yard (NIMBY). That’s where the YIMBY’s come into play. YIMBY means, “Yes In My Back Yard”.

Here’s a quote from the video below: “Housing is a national crisis. And I think just bringing everyday people together to work on this is the most effective way because it’s uniting people rather than dividing people.”
The debate in Lake Worth, for example, should be where to put in-fill development and density, not whether it should occur or not. If density isn’t added to already established urban centers then the population will increase further out west. Period.

And if the bond referendum next Tuesday is approved by the voters in Lake Worth what better way to lessen any financial burden? If the bond passes more businesses and new residents in this City will be helping to pay for new roads, fixing potholes, and continuing the road maintenance going forward.

So. . . where can density go in Lake Worth? Look over Lake Worth’s Land Development Regulations (use this link and scroll down for LDR’s). Below is an excerpt from MU-DH, or “Mixed Use - Dixie Highway”:

The MU-DH Mixed Use – Dixie Highway district is designed for Dixie Highway, Lake Worth’s commercial spine. The MU-DH district is intended to provide the establishment and expansion of a broad range of office and commercial uses, including higher density residential use.

And don’t forget, there are strict height restrictions throughout the City, on Dixie Hwy. as well. For example, also in MU-DH:

We need everyone, including the Drew Martin’s in the environmental community, to be part of the answer to slowing down western sprawl. More people are coming to live in South Florida. A lot more people. The question is this: Do you want them living in a new community out west somewhere, adding more roads, new infrastructure, and taking much-needed tax dollars from our established cities?

Also note Martin didn’t help himself much with his comment at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council that the City of Lake Worth was cutting down mangroves. A very serious accusation. Also very false.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

UPDATE: If you’re like me and not the biggest fan of Frank Cerabino today’s column (11/15) is one to set aside your indifference and read. Here’s an excerpt:

“I know. Some of you are frustrated and sad. But we get the democracy we deserve. And so rallying in front of Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach — a real-estate business blunder he no longer owns — to protest the results of an over-and-done election is about as useful as bringing buckets of water to yesterday’s fire.” Emphasis added. About sums it up, doesn’t it?

The quote in the title above, “As I sat there stunned on Election Night. . .”, is from an editor at The Palm Beach Post. He penned an exhausting, hand-wringing tirade last Sunday (11/13) over the election results on November 8th. Even bringing back the specter of Bernie Sanders like that will go a long way toward unifying all us Democrats together in Palm Beach County!

It’s sort of like, “bringing buckets of water to yesterday’s fire”:

OK, Dear Editor. Let me get this right. Hillary lost so now Bernie is the brilliant one? Almost 73% in the primary disagreed.

It’s still way too early to draw conclusions. But an editor at the Post thinks they have it all figured out now. So all us Democrats can just relax because the Post editorial board are the experts once again. But there’s a few little problems:

If the Post felt so strongly that Mr. Trump was a terrible choice, why didn’t they endorse Hillary Clinton for President?Why run full-page ads for Trump leading up to election day?

And . . . how many undecided’s saw this ad and decided to vote for Trump?

Readers of The Palm Beach Post woke up on Sunday morning, November 6th, and saw this full-page ad on page A5. “Vote Trump!” & “Drain The Washington Swamp!”.

No one fully knows what went wrong with the Democrat Party in Florida. That will take a whole lot more time to figure out. But we do know this: almost all the press and their editors got it wrong. Now, just a week to the day after the election they want us to believe they have it all figured out now? Ironic isn’t it? The very same ones who led us off the cliff. . .

“The NAPC presents the 4th Annual Thanksgiving Banquet this Saturday. Non-perishable food items will be collected at the door and distributed to local food pantries. Tickets are $20 per person. Children under 12 accompanied by a parent or guardian are free. Tickets available at Andy’s newsstand downtown. Seating is limited. Our feast will include all the Thanksgiving favorites as well as an assortment of delicious vegetarian choices and dessert. Coffee, iced tea and the traditional champagne toast are complimentary. Adult beverages will be available at the open bar.”

Monday, November 14, 2016

“We’ve been looking to do things that build trust with residents.”—Quote by Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein, article in today’s (11/14) Palm Beach Post.

This quote by Bornstein delves nicely with this message to voters from Mayor Pam Triolo prior to Lake Worth’s bond referendum passing by an overwhelming margin:

“Nobody wants higher taxes. I’ve fought to prevent ever raising them. I’ve even prevented assessments on things like our new street lighting by finding an alternate solution like energy efficiency and a performance contract that pays for the renovations with the energy savings as opposed to an assessment. Our streets are in disrepair and there is no pot of money and they are only going to get worse. We can fix it long term and catch up on decades of neglect and then budget our maintenance and repairs as other cities have done for decades. Or we can fall behind for decades again. The only reason I support this bond is that there is no alternative. I’ve seen the true facts. Many of those that oppose bonds are the same people that obligated us to a 30 year bond for our reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant. You didn’t get to vote for that did you? It was a revenue bond that doesn’t require a vote. You are paying for it now on your water bill. Did you notice?Along with deferring increased payments from 2009 to 2015 they never included the distribution system. Which means the city’s best, cleanest water never gets to your home thanks to the pipes they never included in that bond.We are addressing that now on our daily dime, and it’s disingenuous to say ‘No’ to all 30 year bonds that you have to vote for, and not for another bondsome commissions have chosen to fulfill their pet projects without giving you a voice. Make no mistake, the story of RO is long and I am now a fan of our team, but I would have liked a choice. You have one today for roads. In the open. No deferral. All alternatives have been researched and ironically the ‘opposers’ to the bond have offered no solutions in 2 years. Please make a choice you can live with. What we all can. Thanks so much for your consideration.”

Now you know the rest of the story. The one you’ll never read about in the Post. What previous City administration chose to “fulfill their pet projects without giving you a voice”? Here they are:

Recognize anyone?

Sunday, November 13, 2016

“The roads need fixing, but I wish we could’ve figured out a better way to do it,” he [McVoy] said.

Wait. Hold on. You’ve been a City commissioner for how many years now! After the first bond vote failed in August of 2014 you’ve had how long to come up with another idea, any ideas? You’re a scientist? Really?

Mayor Pam Triolo deserves an award for staying polite all these years. How many lectures has she endured? It’s time for a change in Lake Worth.

This mind-numbing quote is in an article by the Post’s beat reporter Kevin Thompson. Don’t believe me? Here is the link.

For more news on last Tuesday’s bond referendum below are excerpts from an article in The Lake Worth Herald titled, “Two Thirds of Voters Say Fix the Streets”:

Voters in Lake Worth overwhelmingly passed the 40 million dollar 30 year bond referendum earmarked for infrastructure improvements in the city. A 60 million dollar bond referendum was narrowly defeated two years ago. The difference in the referendums was the removal of the Park of Commerce, a neighborhood enhancement element and the inclusion of a citizens oversight committee.

[and. . .]

Since the original study, the roads have deteriorated placing more roadway in the PCI [Pavement Condition Index]range which requires complete roadway construction.

[and. . .]

The bond passed this time with over two-thirds of the voters approving, indicating Lake Worth voters placed a high priority on fixing the roads. City Manager Michael Bornstein enthusiastically said, “I'm really happy! Very proud of our City!” Bornstein has fielded “pothole” complaints since being hired by the city and now has the opportunity to do something about it.

[and lastly. . .]

One thing is for certain, Lake Worth will be a smoother place to walk, bike or drive.

Now back to the article in the Post:

“City Commissioner Christopher McVoy, who has expressed concern over the bond, gave the vote a lukewarm endorsement.” [emphasis added]

This coming from a City commissioner who did nothing for how long? Sad. To say nothing of not trying to unify our City after a crucial vote. Again, very sad. District 2 in Lake Worth deserves better representation than this. And so does our City.

After I sat down this truck pulled up and parked with a loud "hiss" of air brakes. . .

. . . and a little later so did this one.

Below are more recent photos from previous trips to our Beach:

This is not the fault of any business operating at the beach or the truck driver. It's due to faulty site planning back in 2009 and 2010.

Not exactly the best use of a bike lane, is it?

First, you'll be happy to know there is good news. The "pilot fix" to stop the leaking on the second floor has met with some success. However, going forward there are still many matters left to address.

The majority on the Commission are tackling these issues head on, not just "kicking the can down the road" with band aid solutions like raising parking rates "and whatnot". Here's another recent change at the Lake Worth Casino:

Motorcycle parking now available at the Casino. Spaces up top the dune and below.

It's been another busy weekend at our Beach with cars maneuvering around parked trucks. It didn't have to be this way; that is explained below.

Semi-truck using upper parking lot to deliver supplies on a Saturday morning around 10:00.

As many of you know, I regularly go to the beach to use the Lake Worth Municipal Pool (for information about the pool use this link). Am usually there during the late morning hours and as an urban planner always looking around at how the property functions. One of the most important functions for privately-owned businesses is the delivery of goods and supplies.

Many refer to the property as a "beach park" so the priority should be to handle such deliveries with as little impact as possible to people visiting and preserving views of the ocean; one of the major reasons people go there in the first place.

Sign indicating the size limit for vehicles using the upper beach area. A "dually" would be one example of vehicles not allowed.

The first four pictures below were taken on another Saturday in July. The rest were taken over the past two months. I was there before ten o'clock and a food service semi was parked in the driving lane on the upper part of the beach. I happened to be on my bike but those in vehicles (the lot was full) had to maneuver around this delivery truck. Being a fair weather Saturday, let's just say that it was a busy time at the beach.

With nowhere else to park trucks block the flow of traffic.

As far as parking at the beach those decisions were made by the Best Commissioner Ever in 2009 and 2010. The negative impact vis-à-vis truck deliveries and vehicular circulation on the 19 acre property continues to the present day.

The problem is most acute in front of the Casino building when large
trucks regularly use the "no parking" bike lane for regular deliveries.

The loading dock area on the north side of the building is inadequate to accommodate most delivery and service vehicles unless they are small trucks or vans. The result is what you see in these pictures. People who come to enjoy a view of the Atlantic Ocean are treated to a view you could see at any convenience store instead.

The time of day deliveries are permitted is a variable that can be looked at from an operational point of view.

The ultimate solution is making physical changes to the property that would provide better and more
accessible areas for delivery vehicles.

The likelihood of constructing new loading docks for trucks is slim to none. The people who should have cared the most about parking and deliveries were the same ones that made the poor design decisions when creating the site plan in 2009/2010. They are also the same ones, like ostriches with heads in the sand, that have those signs proclaiming their fondness to keep our beach and pool just the way it is.